Captain Cooks Casino starts its welcome package with something that is not a match at all: 100 spins on Mega Money Wheel at $0.10 each, which is $10 of play, for a $5 first deposit. Four match bonuses follow, worth at most $475 together. The part that matters most is in the play-through section of the terms: the first and second deposit bonuses carry 200x wagering, while bonuses from the third deposit carry 30x. That 200x is what turns a $100 bonus into roughly $20,000 of bets, and it is the reason the order in which you use the five steps changes the value of the offer.
$5 buys 100 spins worth $10
The first step is the smallest. The minimum first deposit is $5, and it earns 100 chances on Mega Money Wheel, valued at $0.10 a spin. The spin winnings are credited as bonus funds, not cash. The terms add one exception: if the jackpot top prize lands as bonus funds, support can convert it to cash, but only the top prize, and only if you contact support before wagering any of it.
The first deposit has to be claimed within 7 days of registering. The terms do not state a maximum win from the spins, and they do not give a separate wagering number for the spin winnings, so the 200x that applies to the first deposit bonus is the figure to plan around.
Four matches, $475 in total
After the spins come four deposit matches: 100% up to $100 on the second deposit, 50% up to $150 on the third, 25% up to $125 on the fourth and 100% up to $100 on the fifth. Added up, that is $475. Only the first five deposits count, and each is judged on its own, so two small deposits cannot be combined to reach a larger step.
To collect every dollar you would deposit $100, $300, $500 and $100 for the four matches, $1,000 in all, on top of the $5 for the spins. The 25% step is the weakest in the package: it needs a $500 deposit to return $125.
- Deposit 1: 100 spins on Mega Money Wheel, minimum $5
- Deposit 2: 100% up to $100
- Deposit 3: 50% up to $150
- Deposit 4: 25% up to $125
- Deposit 5: 100% up to $100
200x on the first two bonuses, 30x after that
The terms give their own example: a $100 bonus means about $20,000 of bets on slots before the bonus turns into cash. That is 200 times the bonus. It applies to the bonuses from the first and second deposit. From the third deposit the multiplier falls to 30x.
Put in dollars, the third bonus at its $150 maximum needs $4,500 of bets, the fourth at $125 needs $3,750, and the fifth at $100 needs $3,000. The three later steps together total $11,250. The second step alone, at its $100 maximum, needs $20,000. Per dollar of bonus, the second deposit is more than six times as expensive to clear as any later one.
Wagers from both the cash and bonus balances count towards play-through, which helps a little. The terms do not give a maximum win from bonus funds, and they do not state a fixed maximum bet. They do define irregular play as a single bet of 25% or more of the bonus credited before wagering is done, so with a $100 bonus a $25 bet is the line.
Table games count 2%
Slots count 100% towards play-through. Table games, parlour games, all other game types and all live casino count only 2%. At 2%, clearing the $20,000 example on blackjack would take $1,000,000 of bets. All Aces Video Poker and Flippin' Awesome Shields of Asgard count 0%.
Doubling up does not count either. Even-money bets on Sic Bo, Craps and Roulette are listed as irregular play, and so is using autoplay to meet the wagering. In practice the bonus is a slots-only offer.
How cash and bonus are mixed
Before your third deposit, each wager is taken from your cash and bonus balances in the same ratio as they stand, and winnings are split back the same way. A withdrawal at that stage resets the bonus balance to zero. The terms say plainly that taking back the money you deposited means losing any bonus still left, including bonuses you have not yet been credited.
From the third deposit the order flips: wagers come from your cash first, and the bonus is only played when cash runs out. Unused promotional bonuses are forfeited after 60 days from registration. Together these rules mean the 200x bonuses are the ones most likely to expire or be forfeited, because they are the slowest to clear.
Safety rating high, player rating mixed
CasinoGuru gives Captain Cooks a Safety Index of 8.9, rated High, with 15 complaints recorded. AskGamblers shows a CasinoRank of 6.9 and a player rating of 6.1 from 42 ratings. Trustpilot lists 4.4 stars from 5,527 reviews. The sources do not split the complaints by topic, so we cannot say how many concern the bonus.
The distance between the 8.9 and the 6.1 is wide, and we have no complaint cases that would show whether the bonus terms play a part in it.
Who the package fits
It fits someone who wants a cheap trial of the casino: $5 gets $10 of spins on a progressive jackpot game. The third, fourth and fifth steps, at 30x, are the more workable part of the offer.
It is a poor fit for anyone who plans to claim the $100 second-deposit match and withdraw the profit, because that needs $20,000 of slot bets. It is also a poor fit for table and live players at 2% contribution, and for anyone who might need to withdraw within the first two deposits, since doing so forfeits the remaining bonus.
Myths vs facts
- Myth: The five steps all carry the same wagering.
- Fact: Bonuses from deposits one and two carry 200x; from deposit three they carry 30x.
- Myth: Blackjack and roulette help clear the bonus.
- Fact: They count 2%, and even-money bets on roulette are listed as irregular play.
- Myth: You can take your deposit back and keep the bonus.
- Fact: A withdrawal resets the bonus balance to zero, including bonuses not yet credited.
Before you claim
- Deposit at least $5 for the 100 spins and claim within 7 days.
- Treat the second deposit match as a 200x bonus before you take it.
- Play slots only: table and live games count 2%.
- Keep each bet below 25% of the bonus credited.
- Do not withdraw before the bonus is redeemed.